Baltimore Ravens optimistic Joe Flacco will remain with them

The Baltimore Ravens hope to finish what they started with quarterback Joe Flacco.

During a news conference Thursday at the team's practice facility in Owings Mills, Md., Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said the team was close to signing Flacco to a contract extension before the season, an offer owner Steve Bisciotti described as among top five quarterback salaries in the NFL.

Flacco posted an inconsistent regular season but had an excellent postseason capped by being named Super Bowl MVP on Sunday. He threw a 70-yard touchdown to send a divisional-round game against the Denver Broncos to overtime and led a second-half comeback against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.

"I saw a guy maturing the way we expected him to mature," Bisciotti said.

"His demeanor, we're very comfortable with. We don't need a screamer. I said I believed the fans will be rewarded with Joe's demeanor. Joe proved you can win being like Joe. Now he gets to tell you, 'I told you so.'

"I told the national guys after the Super Bowl that he went to the Eli Manning School of Disrespect. They gave Eli the same business, and he's got two Super Bowls and Peyton (Manning) has one. We'll let Joe do it his way."

The Ravens have three options for keeping Flacco.

One is signing him to a long-term deal that would free cap space that could be used to retain key players such as linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, safety Ed Reed and offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie.

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The team also has two options related to the franchise tag, a one-year offer that must be extended between Feb. 18 and March 4. One is an exclusive franchise tender worth about $20 million and the other is a non-exclusive offer worth $14.6 million. Both figures would count against the salary cap, making maintaining free agents more challenging.

The nonexclusive offer isn't secure. The Ravens would lose Flacco for two first-round picks if another team matches it.

Newsome compared the situation to the Washington Redskins trade of three first-round picks last year for the No. 2 selection, which they used on quarterback Robert Griffin III.

"If someone thinks a quarterback is that valuable, they don't mind not having those draft picks," Newsome said. "I don't know what the 31 other teams are doing."

Newsome added he wasn't certain whether Flacco would skip training camp should he receive a franchise tag, a negotiating tactic other players have used to receive a long-term offer.

"I do know that Joe has a very good relationship with (offensive coordinator) Jim Caldwell," Newsome said. "It was amazingly nice to hear how Jim said yesterday at our meeting that any time he asked Joe to show up, he showed up. That relationship is there."

Newsome maintains confidence the team can sign Flacco, whose agent said on CNBC that Flacco should be the highest-paid quarterback.

There doesn't seem to be an option other than Flacco, whose backup, Tyrod Taylor, is just 18-of-30 passing with 197 yards and a 65.6 passing rating the last two years. Jason Campbell, a long-time backup, highlights the free agent market though San Francisco 49ers backup Alex Smith may become a free agent.

"I don't see us winning the Super Bowl making the negotiations any more difficult," Bisciotti said. "We will go back to the negotiating table."